Rain Ready!

We’ve already had a healthy dose of rain this winter. Despite the lack of creeks and streams in our urban areas, we can still experience flooding. Be ready for the rain, so you can enjoy it!

 Clean storm drains: Flooding can easily occur when storm drains are clogged with leaves and debris. Make sure any drains around your home are clear. City maintenance crews do clean the storm drains, but you can bet that if we have a big storm, they will have their hands full.

Tarp and bucket: A bit old school, but these are invaluable to have on hand for unexpected leaks. (Tarp: Sku 75907, $9.99; Bucket: Sku 1147461, $4.99)

 Lantern: There’s no need to use candles when the power is out, when there are hundreds of inexpensive LED lantern options. (Sku 3165776, $19.99) A lantern allows you to do some unplugged activities around the house: read a book, play board games with the kids, and so on.

Rain barrel: Set up a rain barrel to collect rainwater to use in the garden for those dry spells between storms. (Sku 7205396, $99.99) Make your own rain barrel with our do-it-yourself kit. (Sku 7302961, $34.99)

Quick Dam: Compact and lightweight, these reusable barriers activate and swell when wet and evaporate when dry. They’ll reactivate when wet again and degrade naturally after several months of ongoing use, so they should last well through our rainy season. Available in a 6-pack of bags (Sku 5681689, $44.99) or a 10-foot barrier (Sku 5681622, $29.99). See it action!